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anb  (Tteij? 

BV  "WILLIAM  ELLIOT  GRIFB'IS,  D.D. 

Physicians  tell  us  that  the  road  from  sickness  to  health  is  never  a straight 
one.  Convalescence  means  crookedness  and  uncertainty,  ups  and  downs, 
with  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tides  of  life.  So  from  pagan  to  Christian  Japan 
we  need  not  expect  a slope  of  advance  as  perfect  and  lovely  as  the  slopes  of 
Fuji  San — which  all  Japanese  maidens  in  neck  and  shoulders  strive  to  be 
like.  The  news  items  which  reach  us  of  advance  and  retreat,  of  revival  and 
lassitude,  of  the  success  and  faiku’e  of  mission  work  in  Japan,  sometimes 
discourage  and  often  confuse  us.  Yet,  that  on  the  whole  there  is  steady 
gain,  that,  despite  check  and  recession,  there  is  sure  rising  of  the  ocean  flood, 
seems  certain  from  a contrast  between  Japan  of  twenty-five  years  ago  and 
of  1899.  Stretching  the  vista  to  1S50  the  contrasts  are  startling. 

The  changes  religiously  and  morally  have  been  as  profound  as  those 
wnich  are  social  and  political.  The  old  world  of  feudalism  has  vanished. 


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The  great  forces  that  were  gathering  inwardly,  as  if  a volcano  were  ready 
to  blow  off  its  rocky  cap  and  spread  flood  and  fire  for  the  making  of  new 
soil,  have  prepared  the  way  for  the  incoming  of  Christianity  and  for  that 
renovation  of  individual  and  family  life  which  ever  inevitably  follows  in  its 
train.  We  need  not  expect,  in  that  land  which  has  had  over  a thousand 
years  of  literature,  philosophy  and  ethical  training,  a form  of  Christianitv 
like  that  of  Germany,  France  or  England.  Japan’s  twentieth-century 
Christianity  will  not  be  of  the  American  type,  yet  it  may  be  none  the  less 
real,  none  the  less  true  to  the  type  and  spirit  of  Jesus. 

We  inherit  Hebrew,  Greek  and  Roman  culture,  fused  in  the  crucible  of 
Christianity  and  made  a new  unity,  which  is  part  of  our  very  life,  in 
thought,  word,  art,  architecture,  dress  and  social  life.  Why  need  the 
Japanese  accept  or  assimilate  all  this.^  Why  may  not  their  own  culture  of 
Hindu,  Chinese,  far  Oriental  and  native  wisdom,  when  fused  and  purified 
in  the  fires  of  Christ’s  word  and  life,  suffice  for  them,  without  regard  to 
Greece,  Rome  or  medieval  Europe.?  Why,  indeed,  may  we  not  expect  a 
type  of  Christianity  even  superior  to  our  own.?  Is  Japan  a Nazareth.?  Let 
it  be  so.  We  know,  despite  all  prejudice,  that  a good  thing  can  come  out 
of  Nazareth. 


Let  iis  see  what  has  come  already.  I speak  of  what  I know  and  testify  to 
what  I have  seen.  Until  1872  the  religion  of  Jesus  was  publicly  outlawed, 
and  the  government  persecuted  and  imprisoned  Christians.  One  could  see 
outcasts,  perhaps  a half  a million  in  number,  as  low  as  the  pariahs  of  India 
(^Eta  and  hinin')^  not  reckoned  or  treated  as  human.  Beggars  abounded  on 
the  high  roads.  In  some  provinces  gamblers,  absolutely  naked  even  in  cold 
weather,  could  be  seen.  They  were  so  debauched  by  their  vice  that  before 
the  traveler  could  hire  them  even  as  bearers,  he  must  buy  their  food  and 
have  it  cooked,  watching  them  eat  it  to  gain  strength  for  the  journey,  lest 
they  should  gamble  it,  cooked  or  uncooked,  away,  as  they  had  already 
gambled  away,  literally,  every  stitch  of  their  clothing.  Abominable  and 
unspeakable  diseases  disfigured  or  weakened,  not  thousands,  but  millions 
of  the  people.  Smallpox  was  so  common  that  pink-capped  babies  and 
people  with  the  open  sores  still  on  their  faces  walked  freely  abroad.  In- 
credible obscenity  of  action  was  common  in  the  public  ?)iatsuri  or  pro- 
cessions to  the  temples.  The  public  bath  houses  made  no  distinction 
between  the  sexes.  The  ordinary  literature  of  romance,  song,  illustrated 
jest  or  storybook  was  filthy  to  the  last  degree.  Again  and  again,  as  a 
student  who  wished  to  learn  colloquial  or  even  ordinary  Japanese,  have  I 


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turned  away  in  loathing  from  the  disgustingly  coarse  and  obscene  burden 
that  overweighted  the  native  literature. 

Of  course  there  are  plenty  of  rhapsodists  over  aesthetic  Japan  and  philoso- 
phers out  of  sorts  with  Christian  civilization  who  apologize  for  these 
“things  Japanese,”  and  explain  them  to  their  own  satisfaction.  No  doubt 
there  are  many  glass  houses  on  our  own  continent,  so  we  must  throw  some 
bonbons  with  the  stones.  Nevertheless,  the  Japanese  man  and  woman  of 
to-day  are  no  longer  “ naked  and  not  ashamed.”  They  are  out  of  Eden 
and  out  of  their  old  life — so  near  in  many  respects  to  that  of  the  animals. 
They  have  come  to  a new  consciousness  of  duty,  propriety  and  aspiration. 
They  realize  that  the  flaming  swords  of  the  cherubim  guard  all  retreat  into 
the  past,  and  that  they  must  go  forward,  even  though  it  be  with  sweat  of 
brow,  in  toil  and  struggle,  from  which  surcease  is  far  off. 

To-day  the  signs  are  cheering.  The  very  difficulties,  when  analyzed, 
show  that  those  who  are  striving  most  strenuously  to  rear  obstacles  to 
Christianity  and  to  bar  it  out,  cower  under  the  fear  that  its  victory  is  not 
distant.  It  is  not  only  that  Japanese  Chauvinism  cannot  in  the  long  run 
stand  against  the  ocean  tide  of  cosmopolitanism,  but  it  is  the  knowledge 
that  “a  greater  than  Solomon”  or  Confucius  or  Buddha  is  among  them. 


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He  has  come  to  stay,  and  He  will  be  wounded  nowhei'e  but  in  the  house  of  his 
friends.  His  armor  is  impenetrable,  and  His  might  invincible  against  those 
who  oppose  him,  by  philosophy  that  is  vain  and  by  religion  that  is  inadequate. 

For  what  do  we  see?  Gone  are  the  obscene  spectacles,  processions, 
temple  gifts  and  shrines  which  belong  to  the  wreck  of  the  ancient  world. 
Exposure  of  the  person  brings  shame,  as  in  civilized  lands.  Popular  liter- 
ature, though  still  foul  to  an  extent  known  only  to  those  who  are  familiar 
with  it,  is  vastly  purer  than  of  yore.  The  open  licentiousness  and  debauch- 
ery of  former  days  is  vastly  less.  Though  one  divorce  for  every  three  mar- 
riages is  still  the  rule,  yet  with  restrictions  removed  that  were  in  themselves 
immoral,  that  single  statistical  fact  which  in  itself  means  unspeakable  im- 
purity— the  standing  still  of  population  during  a century  or  two — has  given 
way  to  a steady  and  a normal  increase,  which  means  moi'ality.  Polygamy 
and  the  social  crimes  connected  with  it  are  no  longer  normal. 

In  order  to  discern  and  appreciate  the  coming  of  Christ’s  kingdom  in 
Japan,  we  must  sympathize  with  the  Japanese  and  know  their  difficulties. 
Certainly  the  patriotic  Christian  in  Japan  has  vexed  questions  to  answer  and 
tough  problems  to  master.  It  will  not  do  to  tamper  with  the  foundations  of 
law  and  order.  In  the  Japanese  social  vehicle,  even  of  progress,  the  Em- 


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peror  is  the  kingbolt.  In  theory  he  owns  the  whole  soil.  He  is  the  sun 
in  whose  light  all  bask.  From  him  comes  all  law.  The  very  Constitution 
(of  1S89)  is  his  gift.  His  ministers  govern,  his  soldiers  and  sailors  act  by 
the  power  which  he  confers.  Everything  that  is  good  in  Japan  has  come 
from  his  “ divine  ancestors.” 

How  shall  the  patriot  and  Christian  Japanese  reconcile  this  ancient 
theory  with  the  claims  of  Christianity,  or  even  of  God,  with  whom  the 
Emperor’s  ancestors  were,  professedly  at  least,  not  acquainted?  In  Turkey 
the  Sultan,  as  the  head  of  the  world  of  Islam,  has  a high  officer  called  the 
Grand  Mufti  to  explain  or  interpret  the  Koran  in  relation  to  the  acts,  events 
and  public  policy  of  the  modern  state.  In  Japan  the  language  of  theology 
is  still  gravely  employed  in  state  documents.  It  is  not  yet  safe  for  a critical 
student  to  handle  freely  the  sacred  books  and  the  long  accepted  systems  of 
chronology,  which  carry  the  foundation  of  the  Imperial  line  a thousand 
years  before  the  dawn  of  history  as  known  from  records.  We  may  make 
merry  over  “ The  Alikado  ” and  enjoy  the  fun  of  Sullivan’s  music,  amid  the 
quaintness  of  ancient  costumes  on  the  operatic  stage ; but  to  the  native  of 
Japan  it  is  a vital,  a heart-searching  and  often  heart-rending  question  how 
to  act  when  the  old  and  the  new  conflict. 


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Monogamy  and  the  rule  of  one  man  to  one  wife  in  holy  wedlock,  securing 
the  purity  of  the  home,  are  with  us  fundamental  ethics  ; but  in  Japan  it  is 
gravely  argued  that  the  Emperor  must  have  a harem,  else  the  Imperial  line 
might,  through  a childless  wife,  come  to  an  end.  This  would  mean  calam- 
ity, anarchy,  and  horrors  unimaginable.  Hence,  say  the  orthodox  after  their 
sort,  polygamy  is  a necessity  in  the  palace.  Yet  while  the  Imperial  example 
is  what  it  is,  there  is  slight  hope  that  Japanese  life  will  be  fully  purified. 
Again,  to  us,  the  idea  that  loyalty  to  the  Emperor  can  in  any  way  come  into 
collision  with  loyalty  to  Christ  seems  to  saver  of  the  bathos  of  Chauvinism. 
Yet  this  is  an  argument  used  by  many  conservatives  with  terrific  force  agai 
Christianity,  which  they  brand  as  treason,  calling  Christians  traitors/  We 
can  see  how  of  late  the  Department  of  Education  has  been  made  the  strong- 
hold of  anti-Christian  reactionaries,  who  have  tried  to  uproot  ever)  thing  that 
shows  Christian  leaf  or  bud,  and  to  brand  the  Christian  schools  as  nurseries 
of  deadly  hostility  to  the  State.  In  a word,  it  seems  to  be  the  purpose  of 
militant  paganism  in  Japan  to  build  a wall  against  what  they  know  too  well 
is  an  incoming  and  aggressive  faith. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that,  as  the  Chinese  wall  availed  not  to  keep  out  the 
Tartars,  and  Mrs.  Partington’s  broom  failed  to  restrain  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 


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so  is  it  true  that  the  Emperor’s  foolish  advisers  and  silly  worshipers  are  only 
making  a Canute  of  him.  Let  us  hope  that  he  will  have  and  display  the 
wisdom  of  the  royal  Dane.  Nevertheless,  till  he  shows  this  wisdom  and 
until  Japanese  Chauvinism  passes  away,  the  native  Christian  will  have  a 
hard  time  of  it,  and  the  love  of  many  will  wax  cold. 

What  we  have  intimated  ought  to  throw  much  light  even  on  the  Doshisha 
affair,  especially  when  we  remember,  too,  that  the  trustees  of  that  institution 
were  reared  as  Samurai,  more  familiar  with  swords  than  with  ledgers,  and 
better  versed  in  etiquette  and  polite  Chinese  literature  than  in  mercantile 
integrity  and  the  idea  of  a sacred  business  trust. 

To-day  the  problems  of  the  Japanese  Christian  are  mostly  practical  and 
largely  ethical.  They  are  the  eradication  of  the  two  national  diseases,  lying 
and  licentiousness,  the  securing  of  a day  for  rest  and  worship,  the  purifying 
of  home,  the  creation  of  a Christian  literature  and  Christian  art,  and  the 
bringing  in  of  the  new  world  of  Christian  thought.  The  task  of  the 
theologians  and  teachers  is  not  to  unload  upon  their  pupils  and  children  our 
notions, — the  output  of  our  theological  speculations  and  the  products  of  our 
fancy,  imagination,  taste  and  national  peculiarities,  hardened  into  dogmas, — 
but  to  make  Christ’s  teaching  appear  reasonable  and  lovely,  to  justify  the 


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ways  of  God  to  the  Japanese,  to  show  the  essential  Christ  in  the  unsatisfied 
aspirations  of  Japan’s  best  men  and  women  of  the  past.  In  a word,  pure 
Christianity  must  appear  to  them  not  as  an  exotic,  but  as  a plant  of  the 
Heavenly  Father’s  own  planting  in  Japan.  The  Japanese  must  see  that 
they,  equally  with  us,  are  the  Heavenly  Father’s  own  children  and  objects 
of  his  loving  care. 

Yet  no  less  important  is  the  task  of  the  Japanese  Christian  woman.  Her 
work  goes  to  the  roots  of  the  life  of  the  family  and  the  home.  The  nation  is 
made  up  of  homes.  The  unit  of  society  in  Japan  is  not  the  individual  but 
the  family.  There  is  no  simple  word  for  “brother”  or  “sister”  in  the 
Japanese  language,  for  the.  oldest  son,  even  though  an  infant,  is  the  head  of 
the  house.  It  is  always  the  “older”  brother  and  sister  or  the  “younger” 
brother  and  sister.  There  are  also  various  persons  forming  integral  mem- 
bers of  the  family  who  would  not  be  recognized  as  such  in  western  homes, 
where  the  individual  is  the  unit.  With  adoption  so  common  one  must 
beware  of  pitfalls  everywhere,  who  would  study  individual  “heredity” 
there. 

/ To-day  the  Japanese  maiden  has  different  ideas  and  aspirations  from  her 
mother  or  grandmother.  She  lives  in  an  age  when  the  old  stories  of  feudal- 

o o 


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ism  and  the  heroic  exploits  of  the  Samurai  men  and  women,  once  actual 
history,  are  to  her  what  the  tales  of  the  medieval  knights  are  to  us — material 
for  romance.  Stronger  in  body  and  mind,  with  more  independence  and 
self-reliance,  and  a wonderful  new  world  of  opportunity  before  her,  in 
which  the  avenues  to  new  industries  and  professions  are  open,  she  is  the 
heir  of  all  the  ages  and  the  brightest  hope  of  a Christian  Japan. 

Yet  while  her  perspective  is  romantic,  her  outlook  fascinating,  and  her 
future  so  bright, — from  our  point  of  view, — her  difficulties  and  dangers  are 
such  as  few  of  us  can  understand.  Men  are  still  selfish,  as  of  old.  They 
expect  from  the  woman  “ the  three  obediences,”  as  child,  wife,  and  mother. 
Her  new  ideas  of  chastity  revolt  against  the  old  customs,  which  justify  con- 
cubinage and  licentiousness,  and  which  will  not  only  allow  a father  to  sell 
his  daughter  to  a life  of  shame  to  pay  a debt,  but  which  may  even  justify  a 
student  in  ^ettiny  an  education  abroad  at  the  cost  of  his  sister’s  honor. 

Yet  sur\  eying  the  past  we  ha\'e  hope  for  the  future,  for  God  is  omnipo- 
tent, the  Gospel  irresistible,  and  we  and  our  fellow  Japanese  Christians  are 
co-workers  with  Him.  Chauvinism,  national  conceit,  and  insular  barbar- 
ism, must  melt  before  cosmopolitan  civilization.  The  abominable  beastli- 
ness which  shelters  itself  under  hoary  and  venerable  tradition,  the  sin  and 


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infirmity  that  hide  behind  the  pretended  weakness  of  women  or  under  the 
age-old  prerogative  of  men,  the  pride  that  arrays  itself  against  the  purity  and 
the  humility  of  the  Son  of  Man,  must  all  pass  away.  Christ  will  reign  in 
the  isles  of  The  Land  Where  the  Day  Begins.  Meanwhile  let  us  pray,  not 
only  for  the  Japanese,  but  that  our  own  spiritual  pride  and  national  conceit 
and  inherited  matters  of  taste  and  tradition,  which  we  are  apt  to  foist  upon 
the  pagans  as  vital  Christianity,  may  give  way  to  a clearer  vision  of  the 
divine  Christ  and  before  a holier  and  less  selfish  zeal  in  his  service. 


'U)oman'0  Q3oavJ>  of  (WtaBion© 

704  Congregational  House 
Boston 


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FRANK  WOOD,  PRINTER 


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